Secret Enigma
by xIntoxthexOceanx
Summary: Rinoa has been missing, and about fifteen years later, a teenager shows up at Garden. There's something very puzzling about this girl that Squall doesn't understand, until he learns something that will shock him and everyone else.[Full summary inside!]
1. Chapter 1: The Girl

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. If I did, then I would be one happy person...but I don't! I only own the characters that I made up for this story.

**Summary: **Rinoa has been missing, and about fifteen years later, a teenager shows up at Garden. There is something very puzzling about this girl that Squall doesn't quite understand, until he learns something that will shock him and everyone else. But then she is kidnapped and it's up to Squall to save her. It turns out she is wanted dead for an unbelievable reason. Is she connected to Rinoa somehow? Maybe now Squall will be able to figure out what happened to the one he loved...

**.::+Secret Enigma+::.**

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* * *

:::The Girl:::

* * *

**

The girl ran as fast as her slender legs could take her. She knew she wasn't being chased anymore -- at least, not at the moment. But she didn't want to allow them time to catch up.

Her hard breathing was in rhythm with her fast steps, and her raven-colored hair danced about her face. She didn't care if it kept her from seeing because she didn't care where she was going, as long as she was far away from _them_.

It was dark by the time she stumbled into Balamb. Her legs gave way beneath her and she collapsed to the ground. Grunting, she forced herself to stand and began walking very slowly, unable to feel her legs. She found a bench that seemed to welcome her and, without protest, collapsed down on it, relieved.

A kindly-looking woman was walking by, noticing the girl's disheveled appearance. She stopped in front of her and gave her a warm smile. "Why, I don't believe I've seen you before. You're not from around here, are you?"

The girl softly shook her head, avoiding the kind woman's gaze.

"You poor thing, you must be tired and hungry. Why don't you come with me then? I'll fix you something to eat and a place to stay for the night."

The girl now became aware that she probably looked like a mess. But without hesitation, she followed the woman to her home. Once inside, the woman took her upstairs and showed her the room she would be staying in. She observed it was a guy's room, with a T-board and a punching bag, both of which looking like they haven't been used in several years. She found herself standing in one spot for a while, staring at all of these things.

"Make yourself at home while I go fix you some food," said the nice woman. So the girl sat down on the neatly made bed. After a while of silence, she grew uncomfortable and headed down the stairs. The phone started to ring just as she got down there. The woman rushed in from the kitchen and picked up the phone.

"Dincht residence," the woman said into the receiver.

* * *

Squall Leonhart buried his face in his hands. Being headmaster of Balamb Garden had really taken a toll on him, not to mention Rinoa's disappearance almost fifteen years ago. 

He looked up at all the paperwork cluttering his desk, causing him to sigh. He never found out what became of Rinoa. After defeating Ultimecia, they returned to Garden and celebrated. All was good until a few weeks later, when she turned out missing. They had searched for her _everywhere_, but failed.

Only a note was to be found:

_I'm Sorry._

It was the only thing she had left behind. Squall had found it in her room. One conclusion ate away at his mind, which was that Rinoa had left on her own will.

Squall decided to get to work on the mound of paperwork in front of him. It was the only thing to keep him from thinking too much.

* * *

The girl sat at the table, opposite of the woman. She quietly ate the food she was given. 

"I hope you like it," said the woman, "I haven't been able to cook such a nice meal recently." The girl gave her a questioning look. "Well, if you haven't noticed, I live by myself. I have a son, Zell, who attends Balamb Garden, and I used cook all sorts of things for him. But now it's just me."

The girl continued to eat. "So what is your name?" Ma Dincht asked her. The girl looked up at her, but she didn't reply. "What are you doing roaming around alone? You must be thirteen, fourteen maybe. Do you not have any parents to look after you?"

She lowered her eyes, averting Ma Dincht's own. She didn't dare speak. Ma Dincht looked at her with understanding eyes. "I can tell something is troubling you. But don't worry, you're safe here."

The girl smiled mildly.

"However, you can't stay _forever_. I'm sure you would get tired of hanging around an old lady like me." The girl tried to let out a feeble laugh, but worry still showed in it. "I will find a place -- a _safe_ place -- for you to stay. In fact, I have an idea…"

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so that's the first chapter. I promise to make longer ones. This is 'sorta' my first fic. I was in the middle of writing another one, but it wasn't going so well so I gave up on it. Please review!!! 


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to Garden

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy, or any of its characters...I wish though..

**

* * *

:::Welcome to Garden:::

* * *

**

The girl entered Garden, looking for the office. A lady with short, brown hair noticed her looking around and approached her.

"May I help you?"

The girl said nothing, but instead handed her a note that Ma Dincht wrote. The lady looked at it and her eyes lit up after reading who it was from.

"Come with me. My name is Selphie. I'll show you to Headmaster Squall's office." The girl trailed Selphie to the elevator, where she pushed the button for the third floor.

The girl was to attend Balamb Garden, just like Ma Dincht told her to.

_"In fact, I have an idea…" Ma Dincht had said. "You can go to Balamb Garden, where my son goes. Well actually, he's a fighting instructor there. You can learn how to fight and defend yourself, just in case, and you can meet plenty of friends. I assure you it will be safer to stay there."_

So here she was now.

The elevator reached the third floor and the doors slid open. They walked out and came upon a set of doors. Selphie lightly knocked on them. No one answered. She knocked a little louder. "Squall?"

There was a pause, and from the other side came an exasperated "Yeah?"

Selphie opened the door and stepped in, the girl following her. Squall looked at her inquiringly. "This girl will be a new student here at Garden," Selphie explained. "It's a little sudden, but apparently Zell's mother recommended her in this note." She handed Squall the note from Ma Dincht, who read it.

Squall studied the girl who was half hidden behind Selphie. She had dark, straight hair that flowed down her back. Her chocolate orbs were fixed on the floor. Something about her bothered Squall. He just nodded. "I see. What is your name, then?" he asked her.

"Meilyn."

That was the first thing she had spoken ever since her arrival in Balamb.

"Okay then, Meilyn," Squall said, "we'll get your schedule fixed up along with any other registration requirements. Selphie here will show you to the dorms and you can get settled in."

The two girls left, along with a packet of registration papers for Meilyn, and they headed over to the dorms. Selphie showed Meilyn her room and set the papers on the nightstand, realizing that Meilyn hadn't come with belongings of any sort.

"All I have are the clothes on my back," Meilyn said.

"Don't worry about it," Selphie said, "you'll be wearing a uniform most of the time anyways. So just relax for now, or take a tour of the building. I'm sure someone will be happy to show you around." She headed for the door. "Oh, and welcome to Balamb Garden!" And out she went.

* * *

Meilyn had been working on filling out the registration papers for a while when a knock came from her door. "Come in." 

In came a blonde, spiky-haired guy who looked to be about her age. "Hey, my name is Reis. My mom said that you could use a tour guide?"

Meilyn gave him a questioning look. "Mom?"

"That would be Selphie. She is my mother. She kinda volunteered me to show you around. So…are you up for it?"

Meilyn shrugged. "Sure." She abandoned the registration papers and left with Reis.

He showed her as much as he could, and tried to explain everything about Garden. He showed her the classrooms, the lobby, the cafeteria, the library, the infirmary, and the quad, which she liked the most. Then they came to the Training Center.

"C'mon," Reis said, "my dad might be in here. He's also another instructor. But be careful; there are real monsters, and you can get hurt if you don't come prepared." The two followed the hallway into the Training Center, where, sure enough, was Reis' dad, who was training.

"Hey, Dad!" he said, playfully punching his father in the arm. Meilyn could see who he got his looks from.

His dad ceased his training and ruffled his son's hair, receiving an annoyed look. "So what are you doing here?" he asked.

"This is Meilyn," Reis said, pointing to her. "She's new here. Meilyn, this is my dad, Zell. He's the fighting instructor around here."

The name sounded familiar to Meilyn. "Oh, so _you're_ Zell. I met your mother."

Zell looked at her with interest. "Oh really? Well, nice to meet ya. Have you showed her around, Reis?"

"Yep, and I even told her about the rush for hotdogs in the cafeteria."

"Heh, that's my boy!" Zell said, ruffling Reis' hair once more. Meilyn could see that the two were really close.

"Okay, okay, cut it out!" Reis exclaimed. "We better get going anyway. See ya later."

"Bye Mr. Dincht," Meilyn said politely.

Zell laughed. "Save that 'Mr. Dincht' stuff for class. Just call me Zell."

Meilyn nodded and left with Reis. "He seems very nice," she said, as the two roamed the halls. "Both your parents seem nice."

Reis shrugged. "Yeah, I guess they are." The two went back to the dorms. "Okay, well I gotta go. I'll see you later." He left, leaving Meilyn alone in her room. She saw the registration papers lying on her bed and decided to finish filling them out.

* * *

Soon it had gotten dark out, and Meilyn had been lying on her bed, thinking, when a knock came from her door. Selphie stepped in with clothes in her hands. She set them gently on the bed. 

"I was able to get your uniform. Just tell me if it doesn't fit right. And I brought you a t-shirt and shorts to sleep in. They're my daughter's, about your age," said Selphie.

Meilyn asked, "You have a son _and_ a daughter?"

Selphie nodded. "I see you have met Reis. I'm sorry if he was any trouble, he can be a handful sometimes."

Meilyn shook her head. "He was pretty nice. He showed me around."

"Okay, that's good. I'll leave you alone now." Selphie left the room, leaving Meilyn alone again. She changed into the t-shirt and shorts Selphie gave her and laid back down. She continued to think for over an hour until she fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, I know...not the most exciting chapter! And I promise to make even longer chapters. This is just the beginning. Please R&R! 


	3. Chapter 3: Dark Figure

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy or its characters...

**

* * *

:::Dark Figure:::

* * *

**

_She was running._

_She was being chased again, but they were just dark figures. When she thought she finally lost them, she collapsed to the ground. Darkness surrounded her. Nothing was visible for as far as she could see. She brought her legs up to her chest and huddled there like a little child._

_There were voices._

_Voices that sounded harsh and cold. Men's voices. "Kill the girl," one voice said, "she is too dangerous to be kept alive."_

_"It would be too risky if she were to remain on the face of this planet," said another cold, piercing voice._

_But then there was this other voice. It was a female's voice, not as harsh and cold. "You must run. Don't worry about me…"_

_Please don't go away, she thought. Please don't leave me._

_She clutched her knees tighter and squeezed her eyes shut, willing the unforgiving voices to go away. "Just leave me alone!" she shouted, and her surroundings were engulfed in orange and red. Fire encircled her, the flames licking the darkness, daring it to mess with the hot and fiery creation and its creator._

_She felt a little safer inside her barrier. But the voices did not go away. In fact, more voices joined in, but these voices were those of anguish and agony. They sounded as if they were being tortured. There were many of them, echoing through the darkness. She covered her ears, trying to shut out any sound, but to no avail. She could only comprehend a couple of the words that were being thrown at her, things like "Why?" and "Please, no!" The rest just sounded like a mixture of moans and screaming._

_The flames grew bigger, but the voices grew louder along with it. She couldn't take much more of it. Everything grew louder and louder until it was all just one loud screech…_

* * *

Meilyn jerked awake, bolting upright in her bed. She was panting and sweat beaded her forehead. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. The illuminated numbers read 3:57 am. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Her first official day at Balamb Garden would start in just a couple of hours, and she didn't want anyone to think something was wrong with her.

She laid back down, falling asleep in just a couple of minutes.

The alarm started blaring. Meilyn woke up and started getting ready, putting on her uniform. Classes would start at 9:00 and she still had to stop by the cafeteria for a quick breakfast. She ran into Reis there, talking to him briefly, then off to class she went.

She felt happy, sitting among other normal people in class. Although she found the lecture boring, she paid attention. She had not been able to feel normal for a long time. She really did feel safe.

* * *

Selphie was on the phone when a man in a dark cloak walked into her office.

"Hold on a sec," she said into the phone, then looking up, asked, "May I help you?"

The man didn't say anything for a moment. He seemed to be looking around. "Is there someone here by the name of Meilyn?"

"Yes," Selphie replied, "but what business do you have with her?"

"I just need to see her."

"What is your reason?" asked Selphie.

"I said I just need to see her."

"I'm sorry, but you need a reason to see her. We can't just let anybody come here and do whatever they want."

"Hmph," said the man, and he left her office. As he left, Selphie watched him closely, then got back to her conversation on the phone.

* * *

Throughout half of the day, Meilyn went through her classes with ease, meeting Quistis and Irvine, two other instructors at Garden. Then lunch time rolled around. Hotdogs were on the menu. Meilyn saw what Reis was trying to tell her about the rush for them. Nevertheless, she was able to get her lunch and spotted Reis sitting at a table and decided to sit with him.

"So how's your first day been so far?" he asked her as she sat down.

Meilyn shrugged. "It's been okay so far."

A girl with darker blonde hair approached them and sat down. "Hey, Reis. And who's this?"

Reis swallowed the food he had in his mouth. "Kiari, this is Meilyn. She's new here." He turned to Meilyn. "This is my twin sister, Kiari."

Meilyn looked at them in amazement, as if she's never seen twins before. She could see a strong resemblence between the two. "I didn't know you had a _twin_." The three continued to converse, and Meilyn really felt like she belonged.

"What's that?" Reis asked, pointing to her neck. Around it was a chain necklace, the bottom half hidden under her shirt.

"It's…just a necklace. Nothing really." She clutched the necklace, hiding it from Reis. They continued eating, but when Meilyn looked up, she saw a dark figure by the entrance of the cafeteria. He was looking at her. Then a throng of students rushed by and he disappeared.

"Are you okay?" Reis asked, giving her a concerned look.

Meilyn snapped to attention. "Uh…yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not hungry." And with that she got up and left the two siblings.

The appearance of the figure had spooked her a bit, but she told herself that she would go through the rest of the day as a normal person. She forgot about the figure after a while. Now it was time for Zell's class. She rushed over to the Training Center, where other students were.

"Okay," Zell began, "today we are going to do some actual hand-to-hand combat. This is an important thing to master, just in case you are ever without a weapon."

He continued his lecture and demonstrated some basic moves. Then he asked for some volunteers to fight him. Reis volunteered first. He was pretty good, but of course he probably learned it all from his father. After they were finished, Reis asked Meilyn to try.

"Um…no, I'll pass…"

"Aw, come on. It's part of class. It's kinda like homework - you'll have to do it _eventually_."

"He's right," Zell said. "Just show me what you got."

Meilyn hesitated a moment. "But…I feel uncomfortable fighting a _teacher_. I don't want to hurt-"

Zell chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll be using defensive moves the whole time. I won't hurt you. C'mon." Meilyn shrugged and took her stance opposite Zell. "Just throw me a few punches," Zell said.

Meilyn tried to do what he said, swinging one towards the face area, but he blocked it with his arms. She tried again, one after the other, all of them being blocked too. Then she pretended to aim for the face again, but instead punched him in the stomach, causing Zell to stagger backwards.

"Whoa, you're not too bad."

* * *

The dark figure stood behind a bush, watching them train. "I will be watching you..."

* * *

**A/N: **Dundundunnnnn!!!! Okay, so thats chapter 3. Thank you for those who reviewed! I didn't expect to get any so soon! But it has motivated me to write some more! 


	4. Chapter 4: A Special Visit

**Disclaimer:** I unfortunately do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. I only own the characters that I made up.

* * *

:::A Special Visit:::

* * *

A couple of weeks passed. Meilyn sat on her bed. She had completely forgotten about the dark figure. She was enjoying a normal life. She made plenty of friends, the closest one being Reis. In fact, she didn't think he was half bad looking. He was funny and nice, and she couldn't have asked for a better friend. Everyone was nice to her. The only person that bothered her was Squall. Everytime they passed each other, he looked at her with the most awkward gaze, as if he knew her yet didn't. Multiple times had she caught Squall studying her face. Sometimes Meilyn felt as if he could see right through her, that she's not normal like all the other students here at Balamb. 

"The headmaster?" Reis had once said. "He's just having a rough time. It's not easy running a place like this, even though he's done it for years. But you can't blame him. He had lost someone very important to him a long time ago, and it had changed him."

"How do you know all this?" Meilyn had asked.

"My parents told me, of course," was his reply. "Squall and them, along with Quistis, Irvine, and Seifer, go way back. They're the ones who defeated Ultimecia. Well, Seifer was more of an obstacle, so my dad says. You see, Squall used to be a loner, but his ways changed after he fell in love. But then that 'love' was taken away from him. I can't remember her name...it's been a while since it's been brought up. Squall doesn't even want to be reminded of her."

"Wow, so _their_ the ones who defeated Ultimecia."

Ultimecia. Meilyn was never told about her, but Reis tried to explain as much as he knew. The weird thing is, she had dreams about Ultimecia and sorcery, but she doesn't know why. She's had dreams where _she_ was the one with the powers and that _she_ was causing chaos and evil to the world.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door suddenly swung open. In stepped a man with a cloak, his eyes covered by the hood. He looked strong and muscular. Meilyn gasped.

"Who are you? Wh-What are you doing here?"

"You are Meilyn," the man spoke. "I have been ordered to find you and take care of you." He clenched and unclenched his fist to show her what he meant. Meilyn stood, looking about ready to fight, but she noticed that she was in no condition to fight, for she was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts and was barefoot.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted. "Kaj probably sent you, am I right?"

The man took a step forward and wrapped his gloved hand around her throat. Meilyn tried to pry herself away, but his grasp was firm. "You...have no reason to live."

Meilyn's eyes widened. "Let me go! Help! I need help!"

* * *

Reis was heading over to Meilyn's room when he heard shouting. He noticed that her door was open and the voice was coming from it. "Meilyn!" He ran to the door as fast as he could. It seemed like years, but when he finally did reach the door, the sight was anything but suspicious. She was simply sitting on her bed, not shouting and definitely not in need of any help. "Are you okay?" 

Meilyn eyed her closet and gulped. "Y-yeah...I'm fine."

"But I thought I heard shouting."

Meilyn shook her head. "It was nothing. I was...I was just talking in my sleep." She walked over to the window and turned her back to him. "Please just leave."

Reis didn't listen to her. He walked over behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay? You're trembling."

She shrugged his hand off. "Please! I just need to be alone." Reis paused a moment and left wordlessly.

What has gotten into her? he thought as he briskly walked past all the dorm rooms. He entered his own and plopped down on his bed, putting headphones on and listening to music. Sometimes I just don't understand her, he thought, but I really like her. Something's just not right...

He didn't know how long he laid there thinking, but he snapped back to reality when Meilyn entered the room. He tried to look unphased, but it was all he could do to keep from jumping up and hugging her. She really worried him sometimes.

Meilyn sat on his bed and waited for him to take off the headphones. When he didn't, she said, "Look, I'm sorry." Reis understood the words her mouth was forming and did take his headphones off. "I had to make you leave. I didn't want you to, but you just had to."

"But why?"

Meilyn looked down at her hands. "I can't tell you."

Reis sat up and scooted next to her. "Something has been bothering you. What is it? Was there something wrong before you came to Garden?"

She couldn't tell him. There was no way she would tell him of her background. She was afraid he would shun her, push her away.

"If you found out something terrible about me, would you still be by my side? No matter what happens, even if I become the world's enemy, will you be my knight?" she asked, looking into his cerulean orbs. She had always loved those eyes. Something about them made her feel like she was floating.

The question took Reis by surprise, and he didn't know how to respond. He knew the answer. He definitely would be there, but his lips couldn't form the words. He saw the sincerity in her chocolate eyes, and he could sense the seriousness of it all. "Of course I would be there," and he pulled her into a hug.

"I better get going then," Meilyn said. She stood up to leave, but paused at the doorway. "Reis..." she said, turning back around, "I...nevermind..." Then she disappeared, leaving Reis with a puzzled look on his face.

* * *

She couldn't tell him what really happened. The man had his hand around her neck, but then he heard Reis coming. 

The man put his mouth to her ear. "If you tell him, I'll kill him."

Just as Reis came in, the man hid himself in her closet. She didn't want Reis to get hurt, so she had to lie to him. Meilyn could tell that he was hurt when she asked him to leave, but she had no other choice. He would've been killed. She was so glad that he was forgiving. That's why she became attracted to him.

After Reis left, the man emerged from his hiding place. "Good thinking on your part. It was a smart move," he said. "And to think I was actually gunna stab him with my knife..." Meilyn noticed the knife in his hand. He held it up to her throat. "Now unfortunately I must leave. But on that special day -- the same day almost fifteen years ago -- I will come back and find you. Be ready." He put his mouth up to her ear once more. "Oh, and by the way, the name's Xaden. Don't forget." He withdrew the knife from her throat and vanished out the door.

Now it was almost 10:00 pm, and Meilyn was afraid to go to sleep. She wished that next day was Saturday, not Friday, for she knew it would be hours before she closed her eyes. When she finally did, she had nightmares about the man, his knife, and Reis.

* * *

**A/N: **I'll try to update as soon as I can! With school being out, I will be able to update more often. Yay for summer! Plz R&R! Tnx! 


	5. Chapter 5: Questions and Lack of Answers

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the FF characters.**

* * *

**:::Questions and a Lack of Answers:::**

* * *

Meilyn woke up the next day, thoughts of the previous one fresh in her mind. She wanted to tell somebody about it. She really did. But she didn't want anyone finding out about her past. 

_There was a knock at the door of their little apartment. "We know it's you! Open up!" came the harsh voices from the other side. "We know you're there, along with your daughter!"_

_She was only seven. She looked up at her mother, who was sitting next to her with wide, frightened eyes. "Come with me, sweetie," she whispered to her daughter, the urgency evident in her voice.. Even though she was in a dangerous situation, Meilyn remained calm. She followed her mother out the window and down the fire escape. It was dark as they ran down the street and into the night._

_The three men busted the door open, only to find no one there. Noticing the open window, one stuck his head out in time to see the two running away. "This way!" he shouted to the other men. They climbed down the fire escape with ease and chased after them. Meilyn and her mother ran to the nearest train station, merging in with the mass of people that was there. Even though they had a head start, they were no match for the speed of the men. They spotted the young girl among the crowd and grabbed her._

_She shrieked. Her mother turned around and saw her daughter not running along with her, but in the arms of one of the men. "Meilyn!" she cried. "Let her go!"_

_"I'm sorry, we can't do that," said the man holding the girl, who appeared to be the leader. He was wearing a black leather trench coat and he was bald, with an earing on his left ear. "It would be too risky..."_

_Meilyn tried to wriggle free, but her efforts were in vain. She bit her captor hard on the hand, tasting blood. The man yelled out in pain and dropped Meilyn, allowing her to escape to her mother.. "Damnit!" he cried out. "Why you little --"_

_The two ran off, disappearing in the crowd. They managed to sneak onto one of the trains without being spotted and sat down, Meilyn cradled in her mother's arms, who kept a watchful eye out. "When will they stop chasing us?" Meilyn asked her mother innocently. Her mother looked down at her with sad eyes, wishing she could tell her.. "Why are they after you?" the young girl asked._

_Her mother hugged her daughter tightly. "I _wish _it was _me

* * *

Class was over and everyone was shuffling out of the classroom, leaving Meilyn to be the last one left. She gathered her stuff and also made her way to the door. 

"See you later, Mr. Almasy," she said. Seifer just nodded from his desk. Just as she reached the doorway, a figure appeared in front of her, blocking her way. Meilyn froze in her tracks.

She had never seen this man before. He wore a similar outfit as Xaden, but instead of concealing his face in the shadows of his hood, his features were perfectly visible to her. He had spiky red hair and brown eyes. A smirk was plastered onto his pale face, making him appear arrogant. His arms were crossed in front of his chest to let the girl know that he wasn't going to budge.

"I finally found you," the stranger said.

Seifer abruptly stood up and rushed over to Meilyn's side. "What do you want?" he said with a confident voice while positioning Meilyn behind him where it was safer. He examined the young man up and down, observing that he had a knife and a gun with him. "Who are you?"

"The name's Rysc."

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked again.

Rysc shrugged casually. "What? Am I not allowed to see someone I've known for years?" His voice sounded laid-back, which made Seifer hate him even more for some reason.

Seifer turned to Meilyn. "You know the guy?"

She gave him a confused look. "No! I've never even seen him," she replied, earning a look of disapproval from Rysc. But his face did seem a little familiar, as if from a distant memory.

"I said _I _have known _you_ for years," Rysc explained. "I never said _you_ knew _me_."

"You have no business here," Seifer said.

"Oh, but I _do_," Rysc assured.

"Okay, that's it. I'm gunna have to ask you to leave." They both glared at each other for what seemed like forever. It was a silent battle going on between the two with their eyes as weapons. Eventually, Rysc gave up, leaving Seifer to be the victor.

"Whatever," Rysc uttered. "We _will_ meet again," he said to Meilyn, mocking a bow. Then, with a snicker, he cleared the doorway and walked off. Seifer eyed him suspiciously until he disappeared.

"So what was that about?" Seifer asked Meilyn, arms crossed.

She looked down at the floor and shrugged. "I don't know," she lied.

"If I ever see his face around here again, I'll kill him," he said. "He obviously poses as a threat. He's too...suspicious. How does he know you?"

Meilyn shrugged again. "I should get going." She left the classroom in a hurry. In fact, she was walking down the hall so fast that she didn't notice another student rounding the corner and bumped into him, making her drop her stuff. She bent down to pick them up and apologized.

"You seem to be in a hurry," he said, stating the obvious. "You should be a little more careful."

"I'm sorry," she apologized for the second time.

The sixteen year old student shrugged. "Nah, it's okay," he said. "So, um...what's your name? You're the new girl around here, right? Well, I guess you've been here for a couple of weeks now..."

Meilyn nodded. "I'm Meilyn."

"My name is Hiro. Nice to meet you. Anyways, I gotta get going. Hopefully we'll bump into each other again, but not so literally next time."

Meilyn managed to chuckle. "Okay, see you then." She headed for her next class, but she found it extremely hard to concentrate. Once she was finished with all her classes for the day, she went to the quad, hoping she could find someone familiar. She spotted Hiro sitting on a bench and sat next to him.

"Oh, it's you again," he said. "You look a little troubled."

"I've had a rough day."

"I see...I know how that feels. Are you doing anything tomorrow? How about you hang out with me then and maybe you'll forget about all your worries, at least for a day."

Meilyn thought for a moment. "Hmm...tomorrow's a Saturday, and I don't have anything to do. Sounds perfect!" She was glad she was making a new friend, one she could probably trust, kinda like Reis. "It's actually pretty kind of you..."

The two continued to talk for a while and Meilyn found him to be a pretty interesting guy. She couldn't wait to hang out with him the next day. In fact, just talking to him made her temporarily forget about earlier.

* * *

Reis was summoned to Squall's office. Squall had a very serious look on his face, which he found was a little intimidating. Uh-oh, he thought, am I in trouble? 

"What's going on here?" Reis asked them. "Am I in trouble?"

Squall shook his head. "I was talking with Seifer, which is pretty surprising, but he told me some strange things have been happening. Apparently strange men have been keeping an eye on Garden, and I think they are somehow associated with Meilyn. I even talked to your mother, since she is the secretary and sees everyone who enters and leaves Garden. She reported seeing one of these men in a cloak. And now here you are, and I'm hoping you can give me answers."

"Me?" Reis said, surprised. "What makes you think I have answers?"

"You are one of Meilyn's closest friends," Squall explained. "Surely she would have told you some things. These men are a threat to everyone here and I need some answers quick. And I don't think Meilyn will give any. She seems so...secretive."

"She hasn't told me anything that might answer your questions, although it does seem she is hiding something..." he thought about it and after a moment of thinking, he was convinced that she _was_ hiding secrets. "She was acting very strange last night. And then she said..." He let his voice trail off.

Squall waited for him to finish, but when he didn't, he asked, "Well...?"

"Well, she asked me if I would still be there for her if I were to find out something terrible about her. She said it exactly like this: No matter what happens, even if I become the world's enemy, will you be my knight?" He shrugged. "What does she mean 'world's enemy'?"

Squall didn't hear his question. His expression was frozen with alarm. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. It might as well have been a ghost. The memory came back to him. He remembered when he told Rinoa that no matter what happened, even if _she_ became the world's enemy, _he'll_ be _her_ knight. How did Meilyn come by that promise?

"Um...are you okay?"

Squall snapped back to reality. "Yeah...I'm fine. You can leave now."

Reis left puzzled. Why had the headmaster acted so strangely? He figured he needed to talk to Meilyn. It was _his_ turn to ask for some answers. He decided to see what she was doing the next day. He could ask his questions when they both were comfortable _and_ he would get to spend quality time with her.

* * *

"Okay, so it's settled then?" 

"Yep! Tomorrow! Just you and me. Nothing else, especially not our troubles!" Meilyn stated. She caught a sight of Reis heading her way. "Hey, Reis. It seems like I haven't seen you all day!"

He noticed Hiro and said, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Meilyn gave him a skeptical look. "So...what's up?"

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

She glanced over at Hiro, then back to Reis. "Well...yeah. Sorta."

"Oh."

"Me and Hiro have plans."

Reis gave Hiro a suspicious look, although he didn't know why. "Hmm...I see. Okay then, I guess some other time."

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"For what?" The apology didn't help much.

"...I don't know." She watched Reis turn his back to her and walk off.

"Are you okay?" Hiro asked her.

Meilyn nodded. "Yeah, but I should get going."

* * *

There was a knock at his door. 

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Meilyn stepped in and sat by Reis, who was laying down on his bed with his arms stretched out beneath his head. "Are you upset or something?"

"Upset?"

"I think somebody's jealous," she teased. Reis turned over on his side, facing the wall away from her. "I was just kidding."

"How long have you known him anyway?" he inquired.

She shrugged. "I just met him today. Why?"

Reis sat up and faced her. "You barely know him and you're already going to spend the _whole_ day with him tomorrow. What if he can't be trusted?"

Meilyn looked at him incredulously. "He's a student, just like you. Why so overprotective all of a sudden? You really are jealous."

"What do I have to be jealous of? _You_?" He said it with a little more disdain than he wanted. He really didn't mean it, but he could tell Meilyn was hurt a little.

"I...I just thought--"

"I didn't mean that," he said, in a more quiet tone. "It's just that with the strange men appearing and--"

Meilyn looked at him with shock. "How do you know about them?"

"Squall told me." He knew that now was the perfect time to ask questions. "What do you know about them?"

She shook her head. "Nothing you need to know of. Please try to keep this a secret."

"Why won't you tell me? You can trust me. No matter what happens, I'm your knight..."

Meilyn tried to suppress a smile, but her actions betrayed her. "If you promise to never speak of it, I won't go with Hiro tomorrow."

Reis shook his head. "Nah, you should go. It might be good for you. You deserve to have some fun. Seriously, you should go."

"But that's not how you feel. I know it upsets you." She stood up and walked over to the door. "You might not admit it, but it's still true. Well...have a good night!" And with that she left his room.

Reis was confused by her. One moment she'd be very happy, and the next she'd be serious, and then happy again. But now he was bothered by the fact that he still didn't get any answers.

* * *

**A/N:** Bleh..not the best chapter! Sorry it took a while for me to post this one (Stupid writers block!). I guess I'm not as creative when I'm tired...I should go to bed...I said I _should_...I probably won't though! Please R&R! 


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